Meet local female falconers, see their birds, then watch a film at The Flicks Saturday

Nina Leary, a local falconer, will attend the Saturday screening at The Flicks of “The Eagle Huntress.” She’s pictured here with juvenile red-tailed hawk “Gurdy,” hunting in the Boise foothills in December, 2015. Leary is part of a local group that participates in the ancient art/sport of falconry.
Nina Leary

Female falconers from the Boise area, members of the Idaho Falconers Association, will appear with their trained hunting hawks to welcome attendees to the premiere showing of the documentary, “The Eagle Huntress,” on Saturday at The Flicks.

The falconers will show their birds from 4 to 5 p.m. A master eagle falconer will also bring his trained eagle. The film will begin at 5:10 p.m. Regular admission prices apply.

The documentary follows a 13-year-old nomadic Mongolian girl in her quest to become the first female eagle falconer in twelve generations of her Kazakh family tradition. The documentary will be shown at The Flicks throughout December.

The Idaho Falconers Association was formed in the mid-1970s. The group includes 15 members who are women. The members are in various stages of becoming skilled falconers: attempting to trap a raptor, training a raptor, learning how to keep raptors in good health, becoming familiar with the equipment involved in the sport and hawking live wild quarry.

“I always thought this eccentric sport was too extreme for me to add to my busy life, but have found that it not only fulfills my desire to be outside and more connected to nature, but it has also become a family-time sport as well,” said Nina Leary, a member of the group.